Padampa SangyeYou say such clever things to people, but don’t apply them to yourself;
People of Tingri, the faults within you are the ones to be exposed.
Advice for a King ~ Katok Rigdzin Tsewang Norbu
Katok Rigdzin Tsewang NorbuSvasti. You might have a hundred or a thousand teachers,
But the one who introduces you to mind’s nature is supreme,
Superior in kindness even to the Buddha —
To the root guru, I bow down in homage.The very essence of your own mind,
Is entirely beyond arising, ceasing and remaining —
This is what followers of the Great Perfection
Call rigpa, pure and open awareness.The essence of this approach is none other than
Taking this awareness as the path,
In undistracted, non-meditation —
So, without distraction, sustain the genuine nature.What we call ‘stillness and movement inseparable’
Means that in stillness, which is beyond arising,
There is movement, which is beyond cessation —
Stillness and movement, arising and ceasing, are thus inseparable.Undistracted awareness is the path of the Victorious,
And distraction is the playground of saṃsāra.
So maintain awareness without distraction,
Continuously, both day and night.The nature of mind is clear light.
Sullying thoughts are to be purified.
But movement must neither be rejected nor indulged.
The stirrings of mind must naturally free themselves.The source of virtuous action
Is none other than devotion for the guru.
So exert yourself in guru yoga,
And avoid sporadic practice.There is no limit to what could be said,
But now is the time for essential practice,
So may this short explanation
Cause experience and realization to increase just like the waxing moon.
The cultivation of compassion ~ Sakya Trizin
Sakya TrizinOn whichever path you follow — the Mahayana path, and especially the Vajrayana path, which includes visualizations, recitations, and foundation practices — all practices are of course very, very important. But the most important practice of all is the cultivation of compassion. Without compassion, no matter what you do, it will not be the direct cause of enlightenment. For a practice to be a direct cause of enlightenment, you must have enlightenment mind. And to have proper enlightenment mind, you need compassion. Without compassion you can’t have the other qualities.
Chaos is the inspiration ~ Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam TrungpaVery beautiful situations have developed using chaos as part of the enlightened approach. There is chaos of all kinds developing all the time: psychological disorder, social disorder, metaphysical disorder, or physical disorder, constantly happening. If you are trying to stop those situations, you are looking for external means of liberating yourself, another answer. But if we are able to look into the basic situation, then chaos is the inspiration, confusion is the inspiration.
It is the mind which makes us suffer ~ Ringu Tulku
Ringu TulkuWithout the mind, nothing can have any meaning for us. Our mind does not create and direct everything in existence, but we can only make sense of the world through the mind and the mind is all we have to work with. There is nothing else. We need to train our mind because it is the mind which makes us suffer.
The result of practicing meditation ~ Thrangu Rinpoche
Thrangu RinpocheThe result of practicing meditation is realization and experience. Meditation experiences are temporary and come rather quickly. Realization, however, is attained through the gradual process of meditation and is lasting. One has to work on attaining realization, and one should have no attachment to the experience of meditation whether good or bad.
Befriending every demon ~ Kyong Ho
Kyong HoDon’t expect to practice hard and not experience the weird. Hard practice that evades the unknown makes for a weak commitment. So an ancient once said, “Help hard practice by befriending every demon.”
May those who insult me ~ Shantideva
ShantidevaMay those who insult me to my face,
Or cause me harm in any other way,
Even those who disparage me in secret,
Have the good fortune to awaken.
The Human Route ~ Seung Sahn
Seung SahnComing empty-handed, going empty-handed, that is human.
When you are born, where do you come from?
When you die, where do you go?
Life is like a floating cloud which appears.
Death is like a floating cloud which disappears.
The floating cloud itself originally does not exist.
Life and death, coming and going, are also like that.
But there is one thing which always remains clear.
It is pure and clear, not depending on life and death.
Then what is the one pure and clear thing?
Cutting the root of basic confusion ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Dilgo Khyentse RinpocheIn order to cut the root of basic confusion, one should rest in the natural state without altering it. Once one is resting in the genuine natural state, one should neither follow one’s thoughts nor search for an antidote for them. If the intrinsic nature is left in its natural state, as it is said, ‘When water is not stirred, will become clear’, Just as dirty water, if not stirred, will become clear, if the nature of mind is left unaltered, as it is, deluded thoughts will automatically clear up. The natural flow of the intrinsic nature will come automatically.
Dismantling the walls that separate us ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaThe wisdom that arises when we fully comprehend our interdependence is a force that can dismantle the walls that separate us from others. Compassion, or an altruistic outlook, can have the same effect. Wisdom and compassion can grow from the awareness that we are all absolutely equal in our wish for happiness and in our longing to be free of pain and suffering. Any being that has the capacity to feel pain merits our respect and our concern. Our recognition of this shared yearning can itself awaken a concern for the well-being of another. When we feel it fully as part of our very being, then we will naturally act to alleviate the pain of others and add to their happiness. As such, our vivid awareness that all living beings are perfectly equal in terms of their shared yearning for happiness can be fundamental in reorienting us as we live our interdependence.
Obscurations and negative karma ~ Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
Tulku Urgyen RinpocheSentient beings fixate on thoughts, the true Yogi does not. Sentient beings’ thought are like carving on stones; whatever is thought stays, leaving a trace. Whatever the mental act, a trace remains. This is why we must accept that there is karma, there are disturbing emotions and there are habitual patterns. But, on the other hand, the thoughts occurring in a true Yogi’s mind are like drawings in air. There is an apparent movement, but it is only seeming because he perceives the nature of his mind. There is no clinging to perceiver and perceived and, hence, no karma accumulation whatsoever. This is the meaning of unceasing, self-occurring self liberation.
It is not possible to be enlightened while still having obscurations and negative karma. They need to be interrupted and purified, and that is why one does the purification practices and apologises for any negative deeds one has done. There is also another way to thoroughly and perpetually bring an end to negative karma and obscuration. The moment of recognizing mind essence totally interrupts the karma and obscurations, for that moment. It purifies the negative karma that has been continued from the past and it interrupt any creation henceforth. As long as this recognition last, karma and obscurations are completely ended. Complete stability in the recognition of empty cognizance, therefore, involves the total elimination of all obscurations and negative karma.
Right Diligence ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat HanhThe practice of mindful living should be joyful and pleasant. If you breathe in and out and feel joy and peace, that is Right Diligence. If you suppress yourself, if you suffer during your practice, it probably is not Right Diligence. Examine your practice. See what brings you joy and happiness of a sustained kind.
The main cause of the Great way is compassion ~ Sakya Trizin
Sakya TrizinThere are three main practices: Love, Compassion and enlightenment-mind. Love means that you wish every sentient being in all the six realms of existence to be happy, and compassion is the wish that all beings in suffering should part from suffering. The enlightenment-mind means the wish to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. These three are very important. Without love and compassion, the enlightenment mind will not arise and, without the enlightenment mind, you cannot attain enlightenment, so therefore love and compassion are necessary. But of these, compassion is of particular importance. It is said to be the seed of the Great Way in the beginning, then the water that makes the crops grow, and finally it is the ripening of the fruit. So, clearly, compassion being in the beginning, the middle and the end, it is very important. Thus, when Chandrakirti wrote the Madhyamakavatara, he preceded it with homage to compassion. “The Buddha,” he said, “arises from the Bodhisattva and the Bodhisattva is born out of love and compassion, but especially out of compassion.” The main cause of the Great way is compassion.
Ego-grasping death comes before life ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheIn the conventional view, life comes before death. In the wisdom view, ego-grasping death comes before life.
Fixation ~ Thrangu Rinpoche
Thrangu RinpocheThe problems we face with appearances and all of the suffering we experience as a result of appearances is not because of the appearances themselves but because of our fixation on them. It is our fixation upon appearances which turns appearances into enemies. Because these appearances are just appearances, they are just what appears to us; so if we have no fixation on them, they will not bring any suffering.
Genuine compassion ~ 14th Dalai Lama
14th Dalai LamaCompassion involves a feeling of closeness to others, a respect and affection that is not based on others’ attitude toward us. We tend to feel affection for people who are important to us. That kind of close feeling does not extend to our enemies—those who think ill of us. Genuine compassion, on the other hand, sees that others, just like us, want a happy and successful life and do not want to suffer. That kind of feeling and concern can be extended to friend and enemy alike, regardless of their feelings toward us. That’s genuine compassion.
Guru devotion and pure perception ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Khyentse RinpocheWhen you see something you like, you perceive it as desirable and good. Likewise, if you see somebody you don’t like, then the perception is negative. Kindness, tolerance, impatience, wrath are all your own perception. If you feel kindness instead of wrath, you have a different perception. If you are more tolerant than impatient, you have a different perception. If you know life is impermanent, you see things differently. When your annoying friend is suddenly diagnosed with terminal cancer, your perception changes. If we learn to accept, even in a limited way, that everything is subject to our perception, then pure perception of the guru is more achievable. Coupled with pure perception, guru devotion has nothing to do with being a sycophant. It’s really about exercising your own perception.
See the difference ~ Shantideva
ShantidevaIs there need for lengthy explanation?
Childish beings look out for themselves,
While Buddhas labor for the good of others.
See the difference that divides them!
Religious freedom is an innate right ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaSpiritual practice must be a way for each of us as, an individual in touch with our own mind, to give meaning to our life and come to an understanding of the fundamental meaning and value of our life. Having access to a religious tradition should feel like an opportunity to explore our inner world and develop our spiritual values, and not like something that has been imposed upon us. Religious leaders have the responsibility, therefore, to make people aware of this inner search and also to present the fact that religious freedom is an innate right, and not something that can be given or withheld.